Hb S – Clinical Features - 2
Vaso-occlusive or “painful” crises:
Triggered
by:
Acidosis,
hypoxia, dehydration, fever,
Cold
exposure, infections
Organisms
involved:
Staph.
aureus
Strep.
pneumoniae
Haemophilus
influenzae
incidence:
Most
common cause of ER visits
Most
common cause of deaths in <3 yr olds
Number
of episodes/year = 6
Duration
of crises = 4-5 days
Outcome:
Tissue
and organ damage